Ice stops search for Cooke and Napoka

The last crews searching for Nick Cooke and Jim Lee Napoka have had to suspend operations due to freeze up. Bethel Search and Rescue says that Tuntutuliak based crews were on the water Saturday, but there water was freezing and it was difficult to make it home.
Bethel Search and Rescue calls it a “temporary” halt in the search and recovery. The crews will come back once they can access the Kialik river on snowmachine or ATV. Nick Cooke and Jim Lee Napoka were last heard from on October 22nd. They were headed to Tuntutuliak for a funeral and never made it.